Health & Wellness Guidelines

Trinity Prep is incorporating a HyFlex (hybrid/flexible) educational model, equipped with resources that serve the needs of all our students, whether they are on campus or remote. All students have access to our digital platforms, Canvas, and G Suite, as well as to our physical campus. Faculty are well equipped to support the school's HyFlex campus needs and provide academic continuity, with direct access to classes synchronously for all students on campus and at home.

In this time of great change, know that while the manner of delivery may take new form, we're committed to providing you and your student with what you expect from Trinity Prep: the best education, enriching extracurricular options, a strong, supportive community, and the opportunity to learn, laugh, play, and perform.

Though this list is neither exclusive nor exhaustive, it is intended to give you a glimpse into our current plans for some of the largest areas of adjustment. We are committed to flexibility, as circumstances and protocols change.

Information for Families

When do I stay home and when can I return to school? Please find the following slides that outline this important information.

COVID Family Guidance 2020

TPS Community Pledge

Trinity Prep's entire community is working together to stay safe!

View Community Pledge

Student Learning & Instruction

School Schedule

We have returned to live instruction with:

A schedule designed to maximize space between students in the classroom.
A HyFlex pedagogy that capitalizes on the strengths we displayed in the spring and intensified faculty professional development during the summer.

We also have returned to synchronous remote instruction with:

Students remotely will be learning synchronously with students who are in the physical classroom.
The HyFlex model allows families to attend remotely until they feel comfortable attending live.
Remote participation will be required should a student be diagnosed with, or be in direct contact with someone who has been diagnosed with or exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.

Academic Protocols

Faculty professional development is focused on strengthening skills to conduct live instruction with remote students (HyFlex). The academic programming committee is working with national leaders from the Malone School Online Network and One Schoolhouse to develop a professional learning course tailored to Trinity Prep faculty in which all faculty will participate.
- For remote students, lectures are streamed and stored for later review.
- Student group work occurs with masks.
- Google Meets is the platform for class meetings.
- Canvas, our digital campus, has course pages that are streamlined and uniform to improve information flow for families.
- School and family interaction is virtual to support remote students.

Academic Spaces

Library is monitored for capacity and prioritized for instruction-related activities. Bar codes are used to check out/access shared resources such as books and pre-sanitized loaner computers.
Lab spaces are monitored for capacity and have enhanced safety protocols.

After School Care

Before/after school spaces are monitored for social distancing, and masks will be required.

Enhanced Safety Procedures

In and Out of Campus
In order for carpool, entering and exiting campus, and parking to be as efficient and safe as possible, we have made the following adjustments to traffic flow as seen on the attached maps. We ask that you follow these traffic patterns to ensure morning and afternoon carpools remain organized.

Face Coverings
Students, faculty, and staff face coverings/masks must cover the entire mouth and nose and be a minimum of two layers, and preferably three, to prevent the dispersal of viral droplets from the nose and mouth that are associated with the spread of COVID-19. Wearing a face shield requires a mask as well.

What Not to Wear: Masks must follow regular dress code guidelines and may not feature words, letters, images, or symbols and must either be solid color or a single pattern (plaid, polka dot, etc.) Bandanas, neck gaiters, and face masks with a valve(s) or a hole(s) are not allowed.

On Campus Signage

Trinity Prep purchased special safety signs to display across campus. Below are just a few examples of the many signs that families and students will see on campus. It's the duty of our faculty, staff, and administration to enforce these safety measures. As seen in the stop sign notification (click to enlarge), you'll see Trinity Prep's requirements to enter campus or any building.

In-Room Dividers

Computer labs, publication labs, and art classrooms have plexiglass dividers. If necessary, other areas will be included.

Movement Between Classes

Students must have/wear a mask at all times. All hallways require masks at all times.
Students are required to sanitize hands upon entering/exiting a room.
The Rich Library, Race Athletic Center, Dickinson Athletic Center, the Grille, the auditorium, and all classrooms have hand sanitizing stations.
Signs or markings on the floor determine the traffic flow for hallways.

Room Capacity

Each learning space has been measured for distancing capacity.
Classes may be taught outdoors.
When needed, we subdivide large spaces like the auditorium and Dickinson Athletic Center into smaller spaces for greater functionality and more health oriented usage.
Students on campus may be required to attend a class remotely, on a rotating basis, to minimize the number of people in any one space.
Computer labs have plexiglass dividers.

Campus Access

Visitors, including parents, are asked an entry set of questions, registered through VisitU.
Contractors and delivery personnel are required to certify that they meet TPS standards for campus entry.

Safety Drills

With state, county and local guidelines, safety drills will provide better spacing for students and employees and quicker access to areas for attendance-taking.

Sodexo Custodial/Cleaning Protocols

Sodexo Custodial/Cleaning Protocols with updated CDC requirements.
All cleaning supplies used on campus meet CDC guidelines.
High-touch surfaces such as doors handles, desks, and table surfaces are cleaned routinely.
Classrooms are equipped with sanitizing cleaning supplies for student and faculty use. Desks and other areas are sanitized every class period.
Campus is cleaned and sanitized at the end of each day.

Student Well-being

COVID-19 Advisory Group

The safety of our students, parents, faculty, and staff is extremely important. In addition to our continued guidance from the CDC and the Florida Department of Health, Trinity Prep has organized a COVID-19 Response Advisory Group to help ensure we’re doing all we can to return to school in the safest way possible.

We’d like to thank the following for their expertise and guidance:

Dr. Scott Brady and Dr. Vipul Patel from AdventHealth
Dr. Pardis Sabeti from The Sebeti Lab
Page Thompson from NBC Universal
Sam Stark from Rollins College

At-Home Care Guidance

In order for us to achieve our goal of a safe and effective return to school, each family, student, and employee must do our part. It will be essential that we all adhere to our pre-screening questionnaire protocols before coming to campus. As outlined by the CDC and the Florida Department of Health, if you think your child has a COVID-19 symptom, you must keep your child home and follow the At-Home Care Guidance: CDC.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/.

Mental Health and Physical Wellness

Advisers continue to work with students and families.
Remote students will have full access to after-school programs such as the arts and athletics.
Guidance counseling will present more opportunity for stress reduction for faculty and families.
Incorporating the impact of COVID-19 on our sick and attendance policies.

School Clinic & Health Care

The clinic has moved to the west side of Holloway Hall to increase available space. It will have separate spaces for those that are sick and need to go home, and those that visit for routine treatments.
Masks are required in the clinic at all times.
Students or employees declaring or exhibiting symptoms listed in the CDC guidelines for COVID-19 are sent home immediately.
The student handbook has updated clinic protocols.
The clinic is cleaned throughout the day and every evening per Sodexo updated guidelines.

Arts & Performances

Chorus, Music, Dramatic Arts

More practices occur outside or in large spaces.
Performances occur outside and in the evening as determined by the number of performers.
Space will likely prohibit large casts or large group performances.
Due to the nature of these activities, special provisions may be added at a later date.

Visual Arts

Art rooms, journalism lab, and yearbook lab have plexiglass dividers.

Athletics & Sports Fields

The goal of the athletic department is to have students safely participate in athletics during the 2020-21 school year. We follow the guidelines from the FHSAA, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), CDC, and our local health officials. If you choose the remote learning option, you may participate in all extracurricular activities, including athletics.

If you'd like additional information, please visit the FHSAA website.

Athletic competitions will primarily occur between member schools of the newly-formed Citrus League. The Citrus League is a group of private and independent schools committed to providing the safest and most competitive opportunities for our student athletes by adopting and upholding common health and safety protocols for on-campus operations and extra-curricular competitions.

Athletic Practices and Contests

Our athletics governing body, Florida High School Athletic Association, determines the start dates and state series dates and guidelines.
Student-athletes will complete a COVID-19 health screening and have temperature checks prior to each practice/contest.
Locker rooms are available to high school students with limited capacity and monitored by coaches/athletic department staff.
Locker rooms are not available to middle school students. Middle school students will wear athletic practice attire to school.
Athletes will wear masks and sit every other seat on the bus to an away contest. Coaches are required to have a seating chart.
There is limited attendance to all events, up to two spectators per student-athlete. All spectators will have temperature checks prior to entering the event.
Social distancing and masks are required for all events (indoor and outdoor). School personnel will monitor athletic facilities for social distancing and masks.
Visiting teams and coaches are required to do temperature checks prior to arriving on campus.
Locker rooms and meeting rooms are off-limits to visiting teams.

Food Service & Safety

Grille Updates

The Grille has been reconfigured to allow for multiple lines and grab-and-go service during lunch periods. Students are able to pre-order meals, and consideration is being made for alternate food delivery locations. At lunchtime, student entry into the Grille to get food is staggered but still allows for plenty of time to eat.

Shade structures outside and distribution of normal seating around the campus allow students to properly social distance while eating lunch. Teachers are outside to monitor students as well and help maintain social distancing.

Lunch periods are split to lower the number of students entering the cafeteria at the same time.
Metz Culinary Management staff undergo daily health screenings, wear masks and gloves, and are trained according to state guidelines and CDC recommendations on safe dining service practices.
Plexiglass shields in food service and cashier stations are implemented. Sanitizing stations are located at all entrances, and common touch areas are cleaned and sanitized routinely.
The Trinity Grille is reconfigured with a single entrance and exit to promote safe traffic patterns and proper social distancing. All stations in the middle of the Grille were moved to create a better and safer traffic flow.

Self-serve food stations were eliminated, and the menu was designed to offer healthy grab-and-go options, full-serve deli, pizza, and main-plate options.
Seating is in accordance with state and local guidelines for room capacity and social distancing. At this time, the Grille is limited to 25% capacity per lunch period and 6 feet separating all occupants. The facility is supervised by TPS faculty and administration during serving times.
Contactless payment has been implemented (no more fingerprint scan). Bar codes are used to support paying for items.

Off-Site Learning Plan & Learning in the Case of Illness

Technology Needs for Remote Students

The school will use Google Meets for its group meeting space.
Canvas pages will be streamlined to improve information flow for families, regardless of the course taken.
School/Family interaction will be virtual to support remote students.
Faculty are equipped with class technology resources i.e. cameras, the myTPS portal, Google Meets, and Canvas to support the school's hybrid campus needs and academic continuity that provide direct access to classes syncronously for all students on campus and at home.

Field Trips & Travel

Group Events & Gatherings

Group Events & Gatherings

It's a Great Time to be a Trinity Prep Saint

Trinity Prep is ranked in the top 1 percent of America’s 22,000 high schools (both public & private) for educational excellence.

- The Jay Matthews Challenge Index

Trinity Prep Communications Archive

October 9: Reminder of our Community Pledge

Dear Trinity Prep Family,

The entire community has worked hard at maintaining effective community health standards. I am grateful to all of you for supporting the school in this way. As you know, the governor has placed us in phase three of reopening. We too have allowed more activity on campus and more visitors, particularly at athletic events and soon-to-occur fine arts performances. While campus has opened up, access remains limited. We are still a restricted campus with all spectator events requiring tickets. Masking is required in and outdoors, as is distancing. As the holidays approach and you have greater latitude to socialize, please be mindful of the need to continue to practice good hygiene and get a flu shot.

As a reminder, our Trinity Prep Community Pledge is to:

Socially distance (maintaining six feet or more of space) when in a public space
Wear a 2 or 3 ply mask when in a public space
Follow pre-screening procedures before entering the Trinity Prep campus
Stay home when sick
Avoid unnecessary travel
Practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently
Follow Trinity Prep/CDC quarantine and Return-to-School practices
Inform TPS administration if a member of the family has contracted or been in close contact with an individual who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Thank you for all your efforts in support of our community.

Sincerely,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.

September 23: Flu Season and COVID-19

Dear Trinity Family,

Flu season is upon us, and as expected, COVID-19, the common cold, and the flu (A/B) have similar symptoms. As we try to prevent the spread of any and all communicable illnesses and COVID-19 in particular, we are going to provide a dashboard within the MyTPS Portal that will give you a picture of the 14-day (most recent incubation period) COVID-19 health of the campus. As expressed in previous communications, we will continue to follow school policy and trace appropriately all points of contact.

These numbers will exclude those who may have a COVID-19 diagnosis and are not on campus for live instruction and any reference to individuals, their families, or other identifiable information. As a reminder, Trinity Prep policy is that we do not provide any identifying information related to the health of an individual, COVID-related or otherwise, without express permission. The re-transmission of any information provided to and by Trinity Prep to specific members of our community does not transfer those same permissions for use.

If you are looking for a place to get your flu vaccine, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Dickinson Athletic Center (DAC), P3 Medical, Inc. will be on campus to deliver flu vaccines. All are welcome. Pre-registration is not required. Please bring your insurance card and photo ID. Most insurance is accepted. Cost without insurance is $30. P3 Medical accepts cash, check, and VISA.

Masking and distancing will be required at all times.

Thank you,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.

September 4: Heading in to Labor Day

Dear Trinity Family,

Thank you for the great start to the year. Everyone has supported our efforts to keep masks on and distancing wherever and whenever possible. Thank you for your work on the weekends and away from school by stressing the importance of responsible behavior.

We look forward to next week’s middle and upper school Parent Nights. I know you will enjoy hearing what your student’s teachers and advisors have to share with you about the school year. I hope you will be able to view the videos and follow up with your advisors and schedule your teacher meetings.

Shortly after the break we’ll send an update regarding our efforts to create a more inclusive environment at TPS. As we get closer to flu season, we are putting in place next steps to maintain the health of our campus and all who enter it. We want to make good decisions regarding our in-person operations and live instruction.

I know we’re all looking forward to the holiday weekend. Have a great time and please do so responsibly.

Byron M. Lawson Jr.
Head of School

August 10: Return to School Plans and Procedures

Dear Trinity Prep Families,

As we prepare to return to school, we wanted you to be aware of our procedures for notifying the community when someone tests positive for COVID. We will engage in contact tracing under the CDC guidelines. Those guidelines, called the 6-15-48 Rule, requires us to contact those:

within 6 feet of the infected person;
for 15 minutes;
within 48 hours of when the person first showed symptoms or anytime thereafter.

We will then notify those individuals to self-quarantine for the amount of time recommended by the CDC.

If you are not required to quarantine but were in the same area as someone with a positive COVID test, you will be asked to:

monitor your health;
seek medical care if you have any symptoms of COVID;
update the school nurse by phone or email regarding the situation.

Any student who is self-quarantining will be expected to engage in remote learning (if able to do so) during the quarantine period.

We will be transparent, respect privacy laws, and provide relevant information to those affected by a potential case. Thank you for your continued cooperation in doing your part, both at school and away, to help us reduce the risk of COVID in our school.

My best and Godspeed,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.

August 1: A School-wide Pledge

Dear Trinity Prep Family,

We are looking forward to a smooth and healthy HyFlex start to the 2020-21 school year. Your teachers and administrators have worked tirelessly over the summer to ensure that an in-person and remote return is healthy and sound, and we know that you have all exercised caution and been good stewards of your family’s health. In order to ensure that all of our collective efforts are reinforced, we ask that you read the message below and follow these guidelines in order to support our return to school:

Trinity Prep Community Pledge
Returning to campus means that all members of our community must work together from this point forward to stay COVID-19 free and when required, limit its spread. We will ask everyone to commit to keeping our community healthy and safe by embracing these common measures. Whether on or off campus:

Practice social distancing (maintaining six feet or more of space) when in a public space
Wear a 2 or 3 ply mask when in a public space
Follow all pre-screening procedures to enter Trinity Prep campus
Stay home when sick
Avoid unnecessary travel
Practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently
Practice quarranting and Return-to-School practices as determined by CDC and Trinity Prep protocols
Inform TPS administration if a member of the family has contracted or been in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.

While Trinity Prep cannot eliminate the possibility of someone contracting COVID-19, together, we can reduce the likelihood of acquiring COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on our learning and teaching.

Thank you for all your efforts in support of our community.

Sincerely,

Mr. Byron M. Lawson Jr.

July 29: Return to School Information

Dear Trinity Prep Parents,

We are pleased to release to you the 4th round of updates to our plans for safely reopening school this August. Our faculty and staff are committed to providing you and your student with what you expect from Trinity Prep: the best education, enriching extracurricular options, a strong, supportive community, and the opportunity to learn, laugh, play, and perform.

If you did not sign up to attend the remote learning information session on Thursday, July 30, there is still time to participate. If you'd like to attend, contact Dr. Stephanie Dryden at drydens@trinityprep.org.

Back to School
On Friday, we plan to release information regarding the first day of school. This information will be shared as a separate email once all considerations have been finalized. Thank you for your patience as we plan for a safe start of school.

In order for us to achieve our goal of a safe and effective return to school, each family, student, and employee must do our part. It will be essential that we all adhere to our pre-screening questionnaire protocols before coming to campus. As outlined by the CDC and the Florida Department of Health, if you think your child has a COVID-19 symptom, you must keep your child home and follow the At-Home Care Guidance: CDC.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/.

Sincerely,

Trinity Prep Reopening Task Force

May 19: A Reminder: Trinity Prep is a Fantastic School

Dear Trinity family,

As I reflect on this past school year, I am amazed by the accomplishments of our students and teachers, especially under the difficult circumstances of the past few months. I know we have already shared Trinity moments through social media and through Notes from the Quad, but many of these accomplishments bear repeating:

Newsweek magazine ranks us the 123rd best STEM school in the United States. https://www.newsweek.com/americas-best-stem-high-schools-2020
Niche.com ranks us 184th best college prep school in the United States.
https://www.niche.com/k12/trinity-preparatory-school-winter-park-fl/
The Jay Matthews Challenge Index ranks us 82nd in the United States. https://jaymathewschallengeindex.com/

In addition to this recognition for academic excellence, 15 graduating seniors will go on to play NCAA sports next year. We won four district championships and had two Individual Regional champions. The Trinity Voice was awarded a Silver Medal for the overall publication from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and is one of the top 7 school newspapers in the state of Florida. The National Speech and Debate Association ranked Trinity Prep among the top 10% of programs nationwide. One of our students is a member of the All National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. Trinity had five students receive the award of excellence from Florida Art Education Association, one award of excellence with distinction, and a best of show at the Maitland Art Festival.

But the full picture of the excellence achieved by our students and faculty does not end there. Our outstanding seniors were accepted to highly selective and ultra-competitive colleges and universities throughout the country. Their success continues the elevation of Trinity students’ reputations with applicant schools. For example, Trinity’s Ivy League-plus acceptance rate over the past five years is telling: 24.5% of all applications to Ivy League-plus schools were accepted. These are some of the most selective schools in the world, some with single digit acceptance rates. With that in mind, we are proud to report that:

Our acceptance rate at Cornell University over this period is 34%.
Our acceptance rate at Johns Hopkins University is 27%.
Our acceptance rate at Northwestern University is 24%.
Our acceptance rate at Princeton University is 18%.
Our acceptance rate at the University of Chicago is 38%.

We have a significant record of accomplishment at our in-state schools, as well:

63% of the students who applied to the University of Florida were admitted (compared to a projected non-Trinity acceptance rate of 39%)
80% of the students who applied to Florida State University were admitted(compared to a projected non-Trinity acceptance rate of 37%)
88% of the students who applied to University of Central Florida were admitted (compared to a projected non-Trinity acceptance rate of 50%)
80% of the students who applied to the University of Miami were admitted (compared to a projected non-Trinity acceptance rate of 38%)

These statistics are a testament to the hard work of our students, faculty, and staff.

Additionally, colleges and universities awarded $9.2 million in scholarships to the 126 members of our senior class.

Under normal circumstances, we try to improve our systems and protocols where and when appropriate, but these are not normal circumstances. To abide by current guidelines impacting school decisions due to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and maintain our high level of performance and achievement, we have created a School Reopening Task Force of administrative leaders and other members of the school community to tackle difficult, but not insurmountable, hurdles. This task force is focused on our educational and developmental mission with the health, safety, and welfare of our students and employees as the #1 priority upon reopening. While the task force’s work is ongoing, initial plans include the following:

Our priority for the fall is face-to-face school operations with an emphasis on safety, health and wellness, community, and the Trinity family, while developing remote options for those unable to return due to health concerns.
Our on-campus operations will conform to federal, state, and local guidelines for school operations. To that end, our facilities maintenance contractor, Sodexo, will revamp overnight cleaning and during-the-day sanitation procedures to meet up-to-date protocols and requirements.
Learning and teaching will be conducted in real time (whether face-to-face or remotely). We will further develop enterprise-class infrastructure that will sustain the school in these highly fluid circumstances, in both near-term and future.
Athletics will make the transition to social distancing/wellness protocols as deemed appropriate. Luckily, most non-contact sports already incorporate some level of social distancing (eg. swimming, cross country).
Fine Arts curricula will incorporate flexibility in rehearsals and practices to maintain social distancing. Performances in theater may include virtual roles, as well.
Health and wellness advances will include a reduction in, and alteration of large-group activities, such as all-school assemblies, divisional meetings, and the like.
The nurse’s station will be expanded, and leaving/returning-to-school protocols (from illness) will be updated in the student handbook.
Metz’s food service will include more grab-and-go items, and changes will be made to the salad bar, drinking fountains, and how we order and obtain food.
School-sponsored student and faculty travel will be postponed to later in the school year. International travel will be postponed until the summer of 2021.

Though this list is neither exclusive nor exhaustive, it is intended to give you a glimpse into our current plans for some of the largest areas of adjustment planned for the school, all with the goal of ensuring our collective return to school is a smooth and positive Trinity experience. We are committed to flexibility, as circumstances and protocols change. Undoubtedly, in the coming weeks, new information will be available, and new and amended strategies will be developed. As those events occur, be assured that I will keep you informed on a newly generated page on our website dedicated to our return to school policies and procedures.

Thank you and Godspeed,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.

May 11: Video Update from the Head of School Regarding the Fall 2020 Semester

Dear Trinity Family,

Please see the video below regarding impending updates for the Fall 2020 semester.

Have a wonderful evening!

Sincerely,
Byron M. Lawson Jr.

April 27: Event Information Update

Dear Trinity Family,

I hope everyone remains well. While we are sheltering in place, we have a number of community events that will conclude the 2019-20 school year. We will celebrate our graduating seniors, share wonderful news about rising seniors, and send out some reminders and alerts to underclassmen and new students. All of the following incorporate current federal, state, and local shelter-in-place legislation as well as CDC and Florida Health Department guidelines to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Baccalaureate and Commencement

Baccalaureate will occur virtually on May 29th in the early evening.
Commencement will run live on Saturday, May 30 at 9.a.m.,on campus, if possible.
- Saturday, June 6 at 9 a.m. will serve as the backup date to the live event.
- If a live ceremony is impossible, a virtual showing of graduation will occur on Saturday, June 6 at 9 a.m.
Because the historic versions of these events do not fit within current legal guidelines for group gatherings, more details will be forthcoming. Divisional leadership will be in touch in the next few days with details.

Tears and Cheers

This beloved Trinity Prep event features a video in which graduating seniors celebrate their parents and their time at Trinity Prep. This senior-parent only film showing will occur the week of May 25 at a date and time to be determined.

Headmaster's Day

A day when we cancel classes to have a lot of fun competitions in various field activities culminates in the senior-junior rope pull across the canal. Due to current restrictions, we will not be able to hold our traditional Headmaster's Day, but we would like to move the senior-junior rope pull to a day during the Thanksgiving holiday to make sure we carry on this wonderful school tradition.

These are by no means all of the Trinity Prep events that end the school year. Communications regarding Awards Day ceremonies and the like will be forthcoming. Though we're not together, all of us on the faculty and staff will strive to make this as memorable an end-of-year as possible.

Thank you and Godspeed,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.

April 20: Message from the Head of School

Dear Trinity Family,

Governor DeSantis has ordered that all Florida public and private schools remain in remote learning through the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year. While we know that these stay-at-home orders and guidelines are challenging and difficult for everyone, we have been preparing for this possibility and are confident that our remote learning plan meets our mission by committing to the excellence and well-being of our community at all times. The Trinity Prep campus will remain restricted to essential business until further notice. We will ensure a successful conclusion of the school year in accordance with our mission and with the following goals to guide us.

We will:

Sustain strong relationships between students and teachers and cultivate new ones when and where necessary;
Communicate clearly and intentionally with the community. Provide social and emotional support for our students, faculty, and staff during this challenging and unusual period;
Provide classes that promote consistent and uninterrupted academic progress through blended remote-learning pedagogy and ensure a successful culmination of the school year;
Assess learning progress through direct feedback from every aspect of a student’s life;
Ensure that all seniors successfully finalize their college plans;
Provide junior students and families the guidance and support they need to enter into the college application season in the fall;
Ensure that the senior class is appropriately and rightfully celebrated in May, right through to commencement;
Celebrate and recognize the hard work, talent, and dedication of our students, student athletes, and fine arts performers.

This shift in learning and living the Trinity Experience has tested our will, but in having our will tested, our professional community has demonstrated a breadth and depth of commitment to you and your family. The academic skills developed, the compassion of our student body for each other, and the Trinity family’s goodwill for the cities of Winter Park, Orlando, and beyond make it clear that in times of difficulty or prosperity, Trinity is the place to provide the best educational experience for you and your family.

Wishing you all Godspeed,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.
Head of School

April 10: Video Message from Head of School

March 31: Remote Learning Extended Through May 3

Dear Trinity family,

I write to provide you with a few updates:

To further aid in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19):

Remote learning will continue through Sunday, May 3, and the campus remains closed to students and families.

Although we will extend remote learning, the upcoming student holiday and Holy Week observances will stay the same:

Friday, April 10, Good Friday will remain a school holiday.
Monday, April 13 will remain a student holiday and employee professional day.

We are hopeful that these additional weeks will help us do our part to slow the infection rate and flatten the curve to create capacity for our heroic healthcare workers to tend to the seriously ill. The school’s administration is already hard at work, preparing for the extended time away and its implications on learning and the Trinity experience through May 3. Division heads will update you further should changes occur to middle or upper school student life. Please continue to monitor our website.

Be well. Stay safe.

Wishing you all Godspeed,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.
Head of School

March 25: Video Message from Head of School

March 23: Update to Remote Learning Date

March 16: Remote Learning Protocol

Dear Trinity family,

I thank you in advance for all you do in support of the learning that occurs at 5700 Trinity Prep Lane. The health and welfare of our entire community and others depend on our ability and willingness to slow down the spread of the virus. Please adhere to best practices as we know them to be currently. Most classes will occur in both synchronous and asynchronous formats, and you will notice that your kids can do quite a bit with their learning devices.

Trinity Prep is prepared for this event. Two years ago, we strengthened our infrastructure to meet the needs of an online school, and with most of our faculty already using laptops as the standard school-issued computer, the hardware adjustment has been minimal. Our Canvas platform and G-Suite educational offerings provide ample support for online assessments as well as shared and group learning exercises. And, as students of the only Malone School in the state of Florida, our Saints have access to credit-earning online classes from the other 49 Malone School members, including Stanford Online High School. While this may be a new, immersion experience for us all, our educators will make educationally sound adjustments as they evaluate your child’s learning under these evolving circumstances.

Campus is closed to students March 16-April 17. Students should contact security in advance to retrieve items left on campus.

Visitors and Trinity Prep family may not enter the Trinity Prep campus (vendors, employees, contractors, etc.) if the CDC, U.S. State Department, and/or Florida Department of Health guidelines require you to self-quarantine.

Shortly, families of our current students will hear from our division heads with greater detail regarding our return to school next week. Please keep all of the information handy and continue to check our website for any and all developments.

Sincerely,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.
Head of School

March 15: International Travel

March 13: Remote Learning Plan to Begin March 25

As a precautionary measure advocated by local, state, and federal health departments, Trinity Prep will institute remote learning and the campus will be closed to students effective Monday, March 23 through Friday, April 3. We will extend spring break for students through Tuesday, March 24, and implement remote learning on March 25.

While our school does not have a current concern of an active exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19), our administration has decided to proactively close Trinity Prep and operate digitally following our remote learning protocol. More details will follow on March 16.

Please continue to monitor TrinityPrep.org/coronavirus for all related updates.

March 12: Message to Trinity family

Dear Trinity family,

I write to provide an update on the school’s plans for dealing with the most recent developments in the coronavirus. Trinity Prep administrators are closely monitoring local, state, and federal guidance related to COVID-19. We encourage you to check TrinityPrep.org/coronavirus frequently, as we will add new information and resources on school preparedness or related updates.

School Communications
The school will disseminate information using its standard communication channels: email, text alert, and the school's website. Check these routinely for the latest information about changes to the scheduled events, possible school closures, etc.

School Operations
We are expecting to return to normal operations after spring break. Should we need to close school or make any other adjustments to the school schedule, we will contact you at the earliest point available.

In the event that your child is going to miss school after spring break, please follow the school’s established policy to submit absences via the myTPS parent portal. This is the most effective way for the school to track absences and respond accordingly.

Remote Learning
Because the situation is evolving rapidly, the decision to close school may happen quickly. If school closing is necessary, you will receive an in-depth communication on remote learning procedures.

Faculty are being prepared with our remote learning plan should we need it.

All students need to take necessary materials home with them (laptop, charger, books, calculator, etc.) today, March 12.

Internet access is expected for all students while away from school. We trust that you have the ability to support consistent high-speed access from home for multiple hours a day. If not, please fill out this form.

School-Related Travel

Domestic travel – Trinity Prep will be working on a case-by-case basis regarding field trips, conferences, etc. when we return from spring break. We will likely not attend international competitions, even if they are local.

International travel – We have postponed all international travel to the summer.

After School Programming

After school programs will be considered in our remote learning plan, as will scheduled fine arts performances.

FHSAA will be consulted for sports practices and contests; we will consult FHSAA guidelines for continuity of sports seasons.

Preventive Care on Campus

While we don’t consider this a serious risk at this time, we have instructed our custodial staff to take the necessary steps to disinfect all areas.

Sodexo, our cleaning vendor, will do a deep cleaning of the campus according to industry standards, which include the use of a kaivac disinfecting unit in all locker rooms and restrooms, and will disinfect all touching points campus-wide.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding during this fluid and rapidly evolving situation. We wish you a wonderful and relaxing spring break. I hope you take this time to enjoy your time away from school with family and friends, doing wonderful things and having incredible experiences. Please stay in touch with the school. Open your emails and visit the website. Check these routinely for the latest information about changes to the scheduled events and/or possible school closures.

Sincerely,

Byron M. Lawson Jr.
Head of School

March 6: Message to Trinity Prep parents, faculty and staff

As we are solidly in the flu and novel COVID-19 season, we are taking precautions to mitigate the spread and impact of both. We enter spring break next weekend (which we hope you will enjoy) and wanted to provide a brief update, addressing a number of issues associated with the health and well-being of all students and employees of Trinity Preparatory School.

We have implemented more aggressive sanitation measures to clean frequently-touched surfaces, such as water fountains, and wipe down desks, doors, public spaces, and bathrooms.
We continue to monitor school absenteeism (faculty and students) for flu-like symptoms to review numbers in the event we should need to temporarily close.
In conjunction with our travel companies, the School is monitoring planned spring trips to Iceland and planned summer trips to Tanzania, Japan, and Scotland. We will update families involved in those trips as appropriate.
We will continue to monitor the CDC guidelines regarding both domestic and foreign travel, as found at the bottom of this page.
Should we, or government officials, determine the school needs to close, we will generate, implement, and communicate a distance-learning plan in order to continue coursework for students.
As always, we will follow best practices as determined by our accrediting body, the Florida Council for Independent Schools (FCIS); and our membership organizations, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the National Association of Episcopal Schools, and our athletics governing body, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).

With regard to COVID-19, if you have planned travel to a country that has been designated by the United States State Department as Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 and/or the Center For Disease Control and Prevention as Warning Level 2 or 3, we ask that you incorporate a self-report to the school and a 14-day self-quarantine into your travel plans upon your return. For those in such quarantine, please reach out to Nurse White at whitek@trinityprep.org to arrange for alternate attendance accommodations.

Please note that we expect all employees and students to subscribe to our standard illness guidelines as found here, and to practice the following:

Wash hands frequently with soap and water and/or use 60% alcohol-based anti-bacterial gels.
Cover coughs and sneezes with your sleeve or a disposable tissue.
Avoid sharing water bottles or food
Avoid touching your face, nose eyes or mouth with your hands, someone else’s phone, or other shared electronics
Stay home when you are sick and until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medications that reduce fever.